MJL: I remembered the name of Gubna's hybrid incorrectly, sorry. It's not a "JP" as I said! (Where did I come up with that?) - 'PK, PK. PK' ......
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Wishbass Club pt. 2
- Thread starter john turner
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Here's a little head's up for all prospective Wishbass buyers:
"4:21 pm - For Future Reference.
I have some guidelines i follow to eliminate PITA customers. I have found, in my old age that i have never regretted not sleeping with some women one tenth as much as i have come to regret actually sleeping with some of them.
One hassle customer offsets about ten compliments in my twisted mind. Don't care how crazy that makes me.
Therefore,
In that spirit here are a few rules for ordering instruments from me.
1) There is no one in the world that does what i do. Do not try and make me do what the Fender Custom shop does at one tenth the price.
2) Do your homework. There are 15,000 posts on wishbass out there, and 426 images as of today. Do not assume that i can read your mind, or that i give a **** about what "The other builders do."
3) I hate active pickups. One third of the ones i get are junk from the manufacturer. They have uses, but mostly they are toys for adolescents on the "if it costs more, it must be better" idea.
4) I do not want to do flat pegheads. If you want a Fender, buy a Fender.
5) Do not micromanage me. Ten emails will make me cancel an order. I do not have a customer service department.
6) Never tell me you want a "perfect" instrument or the "best instrument in the world" I do not do that. That just marks you as an adolescent.
7) Do not change specs in mid stream. My shop and the build sheets are dusty and covered with glue. Even if i make a note on the build sheet, i can well miss it until too late.
8) I do crappy finishes. Live with it, or order in white. An instrument ready to string up is only half done. It takes just as long to finish an instrument as to build it. That's why my prices are so low.
9) I do not like making customs, but i do so for cash flow. I may stop at any moment. I am interested in unique ideas, and strange instruments. If it is not a challenge, i am really not very interested. Thinking you can get a $5,000.00 bass for $500.00 is not of interest to me. You don't like that, then make your own instruments. $5,000.00 will buy you a very nice shop. You will have my best wishes and free advice, if you want.
10) Do not ever spam my Live Journal. Never. This is for me, and my family and a few old hippies. You are welcome to read and comment, but this is not a chat room. If i am a grumpy old fart, that is because i am a grumpy old fart.
11) Do not argue with me. Once i cancel an order, that's it. I'm half Polack and half Redneck and could raise stubbornness to sell. Wholesale. I may have to kiss ass for a living tomorrow to make a living, but it is not tomorrow yet.
12) Do not flatter me. People as paranoid as me are suspicious of praise.
Now, may i serve you? "
"4:21 pm - For Future Reference.
I have some guidelines i follow to eliminate PITA customers. I have found, in my old age that i have never regretted not sleeping with some women one tenth as much as i have come to regret actually sleeping with some of them.
One hassle customer offsets about ten compliments in my twisted mind. Don't care how crazy that makes me.
Therefore,
In that spirit here are a few rules for ordering instruments from me.
1) There is no one in the world that does what i do. Do not try and make me do what the Fender Custom shop does at one tenth the price.
2) Do your homework. There are 15,000 posts on wishbass out there, and 426 images as of today. Do not assume that i can read your mind, or that i give a **** about what "The other builders do."
3) I hate active pickups. One third of the ones i get are junk from the manufacturer. They have uses, but mostly they are toys for adolescents on the "if it costs more, it must be better" idea.
4) I do not want to do flat pegheads. If you want a Fender, buy a Fender.
5) Do not micromanage me. Ten emails will make me cancel an order. I do not have a customer service department.
6) Never tell me you want a "perfect" instrument or the "best instrument in the world" I do not do that. That just marks you as an adolescent.
7) Do not change specs in mid stream. My shop and the build sheets are dusty and covered with glue. Even if i make a note on the build sheet, i can well miss it until too late.
8) I do crappy finishes. Live with it, or order in white. An instrument ready to string up is only half done. It takes just as long to finish an instrument as to build it. That's why my prices are so low.
9) I do not like making customs, but i do so for cash flow. I may stop at any moment. I am interested in unique ideas, and strange instruments. If it is not a challenge, i am really not very interested. Thinking you can get a $5,000.00 bass for $500.00 is not of interest to me. You don't like that, then make your own instruments. $5,000.00 will buy you a very nice shop. You will have my best wishes and free advice, if you want.
10) Do not ever spam my Live Journal. Never. This is for me, and my family and a few old hippies. You are welcome to read and comment, but this is not a chat room. If i am a grumpy old fart, that is because i am a grumpy old fart.
11) Do not argue with me. Once i cancel an order, that's it. I'm half Polack and half Redneck and could raise stubbornness to sell. Wholesale. I may have to kiss ass for a living tomorrow to make a living, but it is not tomorrow yet.
12) Do not flatter me. People as paranoid as me are suspicious of praise.
Now, may i serve you? "
LexTron; Well, the bass is here and from all reports it sounds like it will turn out to be a stunner. Koolness ...
As a remodeling contractor and someone who deals with the public (customers) all the time, I know all about transactions that occasionally go south. It's weird, but once they take that downward spiral and start to get negative, it seems like everything that can go wrong, will. Case in point - the last minute address screw-up you experienced. The best thing to do is what you seem to be doing - just getting on with things and not looking back too much. The bridge shouldn't be too big a deal in the final analysis. I bet you get your knobs back too if everyone stays mellow.
Anyway, we are all looking forward to your progress reports replete with photos so bring 'em on. All the best to you on this project. I'll keep working on my refin write-up and let you know about that as well. Cheers!
I just got back from a "jamm session" with an old guitarist friend of mine whom I hadn't seen in about a year. We were in an alternative rock band that split up about 4 years ago or so... Took the Stude and had a great time.
We were in a local rehearsal space for bands here, and this engenier guy comes into the room (setting up some sound equipment for the owners) and he looks at the ol' Stude and says "Hey, a Wishbass!!! I haven't seen one of those in New Mexico before! That's the Stude right?" And then he splits... I didn't get a chance to catch up with him later, but I was stunned...
We were in a local rehearsal space for bands here, and this engenier guy comes into the room (setting up some sound equipment for the owners) and he looks at the ol' Stude and says "Hey, a Wishbass!!! I haven't seen one of those in New Mexico before! That's the Stude right?" And then he splits... I didn't get a chance to catch up with him later, but I was stunned...
I'd have thought that if you send him a one line e-mail with your correct address then you will get your knobs. If not, I've a couple of nice ebony ones similar to the ones on my fantasy you can have just pm me.
I have to add if that's your biggest disappointment then that's pretty good. Anything that you can fix with an Allen/Hex key is not a problem in my book particularly as all of this needs to come of for a re-fin.
I can understand you're upset here, but if it works, which it sounds like it does, then your bridge install meets the criteria of a Wishbass. I'm not defending him on this one, but I get where he's coming from, I think I really understood that about half way through my re-fin. There're a few of us out there that have already said, half the fun of owning a Wishbass is finishing/fixing/refinishing it.
Man, that's why they cost a few hundred bucks! Ever asked yourself how can he make basses for such a low cost - you now have your answer! As I said before, if your bass doesn't play then you've got real issues.
You'd be taking the sticker off anyway to refinish the bass. I know that probably doesn't make you happy, but that's what you'd be doing.
If you ask nicely in the e-mail requesting the return of your knobs I'm sure he might put one or maybe two in the mail for you. If not send me a PM and I can send you one of the spares he has sent me for my latest project along with the ebony knobs if you need them.
As for the number I sanded mine off, trust me it's a bit like buying a new car and finding out when you pick it up it has a 10"x4" piece of plastic stuck on the trunk lid with the dealers name on it! Not pretty IMHO! Being minus a number is not going to affect re-sale one bit!
I think I can probably work that one out. Respectfully, calling the man an a$$hole, etc., on a public forum probably wasn't the best way to start. Hey, I know you were annoyed and disappointed but.....
From what I see you've got a pretty fine example of a Wishbass now see my point below:
No pics = no bass!
Before you ask why I am defending the man. First off I don't think I am, but in all of this I've only heard (and will probably only hear) one side of the story. In no way am I not saying your not representing things truthfully, just that posting has been pretty full on emotional stuff. As I said I don't think I'm defending Wish but, if understanding what he and his philosophy is about is defending him, then I suppose I am!
However, TB is a community and I think Wishbass owners are a tight sub-community. My offers for stickers/knobs/refin info are to help you and not to right any wrongs.
Please post some pics of the bass, before and after the refin. Let me know if you need any of my stuff and look forwards, not backwards.
From everything I've seen you've got what potentially could be one of the nicest Wishbass out there - as Picard would say "Make it so!"
Good luck!
Your post is greatly appreciated, as always, Thunder.
As far as the knobs go, that's really not a huge issue. I'll just order some new ones, or perhaps I'll end up hitting you up sometime down the road. I'm more interested in finishing the instrument now, and worrying about the knobs later.
Unfortunately I'm not sure if I can even determine the playability or sound of the instrument, as Wish failed to hook up the electronics. Oh well. I'm going to plug it in and take some photos very shortly here.
As far as the knobs go, that's really not a huge issue. I'll just order some new ones, or perhaps I'll end up hitting you up sometime down the road. I'm more interested in finishing the instrument now, and worrying about the knobs later.
Unfortunately I'm not sure if I can even determine the playability or sound of the instrument, as Wish failed to hook up the electronics. Oh well. I'm going to plug it in and take some photos very shortly here.
Great thing about a Wishbass is you'll know acoustically how it's going to be!
Certainly it is disappointing that the electronics have not been hooked up - no excuse there! However you'll be taking these out before you re-fin, so again not a big one in my book as much as it may seem at this particular moment - can you guess I'm a half full sort of person?
Personally, while you shouldn't breathe to much of the fumes in, I like the smell of soldering!
That's a neet detail to know - thanks.
On another note. Nothing like a little controversy to get folks talking on this forum again - whew! Glad we are on the back side of the negative ion storm ...
- Dec 21, 2007
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The purpleheart fingerboard is lovely.
I have a feeling that when you get it finished and set to your liking, it's gonna be one droolworthy instrument.
I have a feeling that when you get it finished and set to your liking, it's gonna be one droolworthy instrument.
Agreed... I'll probably be seeing that engenier around again as I plan to lay down some bass tracks for my bud from the old band in the near future.
Also... LexTron!!! That is one AWSOME looking Wishbass my friend!!! You've got yourself a winner there --with a few (and seemingly simple) modifications & finnish work, it'll look (and play) stellar!!! If that Tussrod poking out like that really bugs you (and to be honest it'd prolly bug me) you could always cap it with some kind of wood cap/endpeice thingy(???).
Personally, when the man says his basses don' need no stinkin' truss rod.... I beleive him...
LexTron; What woods are used in your bass? The FB is obviously purpleheart, but what about the rest of it?
LexTron6K, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you so much for posting that email!!! I laughed so long and hard that I had to go find some custom smileys!
I feel weak after all that laughter...
LexTron6K, it isn't funny that you are unhappy (currently) with your Wishbass but Steve's writing cracks me up. "If i am a grumpy old fart, that is because i am a grumpy old fart." is sig material...
If, after a few days of playing the instrument, you find yourself completely unhappy, I bet one of us would relieve you of it. The shape is very interesting and I like the purpleheart fingerboard. Good luck with it!
=wr=
I can confidently say that I was the catalyst behind that material that Wish wrote, for better or worse. Had I known these things beforehand. . . . right?
I'm not sure what kind of wood it is. I asked Wish, but apparently we're done speaking. One thing that I noticed though is that the bass SMELLS absolutely delicious. I think that it must be the incense that Wish burns in his shop, but it reminds me of when I buy a shirt from a record store and get it home and put it on, and then I smell that "record store smell" (incense) on my person all day.
The bass # is 1022.
I'm going to talk to a couple luthiers today. Ideally I'd like to get the truss rod "buried" into the top of the neck. If not I'm going to have to devise something to cover it with.
Slowly but surely the disappointment in the instrument is being replaced by joy and excitement. Although I'm still quite upset that Wish is such a "grumpy old fart." Oh well; I guess if you've got a dog it's only a matter of time until it barks.
And thanks for the good words gentlemen!
I'm not sure what kind of wood it is. I asked Wish, but apparently we're done speaking. One thing that I noticed though is that the bass SMELLS absolutely delicious. I think that it must be the incense that Wish burns in his shop, but it reminds me of when I buy a shirt from a record store and get it home and put it on, and then I smell that "record store smell" (incense) on my person all day.
The bass # is 1022.
I'm going to talk to a couple luthiers today. Ideally I'd like to get the truss rod "buried" into the top of the neck. If not I'm going to have to devise something to cover it with.
Slowly but surely the disappointment in the instrument is being replaced by joy and excitement. Although I'm still quite upset that Wish is such a "grumpy old fart." Oh well; I guess if you've got a dog it's only a matter of time until it barks.
And thanks for the good words gentlemen!
LexTron; I don't want to keep going around this tree, and this is the last time I will spend any time on it ... I think you made a huge mistake ordering a truss rod (the active electronics is way up there too!). A truss rod in a Wishbass just runs so counter to what these insturments are supposed to be. His whole design philosophy pivots around the concept of no to very little steel within the wood and the truss rod is the prime example of that. It also dictates how he builds his necks and what that design does to tone and how the bass feels to play, not to mention looks (ie: UNIQUE!). It almost might as well NOT be a Wishbass if there is a truss rod in it IMHO. One of the main concepts that people have a hard time wrapping their head around is the lack of a truss rod, and taking that away from a Wishbass misses the point in a huge way. Besides, it is so much fun telling someone there is no truss rod ("none needed") and then watching them wad themselves up trying to adjust to the concept!
Okay, enough of that. We're glad you are getting excited about #1022 and we are all hoping that Wish will mellow out and continue to make a few more customs before he decides it's too much of a hassle (is there a PK in some of our futures?)! When it's all said and done, even with that 'stupid' truss rod of yours, you have a very unique looking Wishbass and one that many of us could envision owning. Play on!
Okay, enough of that. We're glad you are getting excited about #1022 and we are all hoping that Wish will mellow out and continue to make a few more customs before he decides it's too much of a hassle (is there a PK in some of our futures?)! When it's all said and done, even with that 'stupid' truss rod of yours, you have a very unique looking Wishbass and one that many of us could envision owning. Play on!
Note that he wrote that to you and did not to my knowledge publish it on a public forum.
I think you'll find it hard to get anybody to do that so don't be excited or start posting about 'loser luthiers' if they say no!
...but as I said good luck.
Note that he wrote that to you and did not to my knowledge publish it on a public forum.
I think you'll find it hard to get anybody to do that so don't be excited or start posting about 'loser luthiers' if they say no!
...but as I said good luck.
Actually that little rant was not written to me or sent in my direction in any way or form. And it was published in a public forum; Wish posted it on his blog.
As long as a luthier doesn't take my money and tell me that he'll do the job, and then return the instrument with his work started but unfinished and discontinue any further communications (*cough like other people we both know cough*), I won't have to call him a loser.
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